Tess Reads What She Wants! Page 3

Retired high school Social Studies teacher. Currently teaching at the college level--just one class per semester. I'm really into food preservation now and spend a lot of time reading about it and watching YouTube videos. I live in central Ohio with my husband of 46 years. He is basically chair-bound, so I have lots of time to read. I have 7 grandchildren I adore. The oldest is 22 and the youngest is 4.

My new favorite hobby is "homesteading." Growing, processing, preserving my own food. I can do that for everything except the meat. I buy that from a local farmer and then either freeze or can it.

I have abandoned my original CATS--too confining! I'm just going to read what suits my fancy when I desire. I will participate in cats/kits if I desire! I will simply number my reads.

My favorite color of day lily (I have 6 colors)


Notes to myself
2022 HOSTING CATS
February-Country life-Reading Thru Time
February RandomKit Read a CAT—literally!
April Scaredykit-Serial Killers
July ShakespeareCat Measure for Measure, The Tempest, The Merchant of Venice theme: justice
September: AuthorCat: African Authors
November Mysterykit- Gothic

576 books on Mt. TBR as of Dec. 25 2021

My rating system:
1 star--waste of paper and ink
2 stars-Is this literature? -major flaws or mind numbing boring
2 1/2 stars-not so bad I had to stop reading
3 stars-average
3 1/2 fun, informative, thought provoking
4 stars-excellent read
4 1/2 exceptionally good, among my favorites
5 stars-in all ways a superior read

My double pink hollyhocks


Books read thus far in 2022:
1. Much Ado About Nothing
2. The Curtain Call Caper
3. Mrs. Poe
4. The Cat of Bubastes Africa
5. A Headful of Ghosts
6. Woman in Black
7. Victory Asia
8. The Dry Australia
9. West From Home
10. Little Lord Fauntleroy
11. Madonna in a Fur Coat Asia
12. The Women in Black Australia
13. The Stranger Inside
14. Three Tigers One Mountain Asia
15. The China Governess
16. The Hungry Road
17. The Greenhouse
18. The Cadaver King and the Country Dentist
19. Unfamiliar Fishes
20. Into the Raging Sea
21. The Last Monument
22. The Arctic Fury
23. Decluttering at the Speed of Life
24. 101 Hymn Stories
25. Kim Asia
26. King Lear
27. Meditations
28. The Lincoln Highway
29. Things Fall Apart Africa
30. Richard III
31. Umberto Giordano's ANDREA CHENIER Opera Study Guide with Libretto: Opera Classics Library

FEBRUARY
32. The Gold Bug
33. A Year Without The Grocery Store
34. The Revenant
35. Character Still Counts
36. The Silver Pigs
37. The Lost Sea of the Exodus
38. Sylvester
39.The Book Thief
40. The Last Kingdom
41. The Case for Easter
42. Winesburg, Ohio
43. The Practice of the Presence of God
44. A Woman of No Importance
45. Klaus Barbie
46. France the Dark Years: 1940-1944
47. My Russian Grandmother and Her American Vacuum Cleaner
48. Eusebius
49. The Expedition of Humphrey Clinker
50. What Could Be Saved
51. The Pale Horseman
52. Homestead Kitchen: Stories and Recipes from Our Hearth to Yours
53. One for the Road
54. . Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race
55. Dark Places

MARCH READS
56. Love in the Time of Cholera
57. New Boy
58. Book Lover's Devotional: What we Learn About Life from 60 Great Works of Literature
59. Wide Sargasso Sea
60. Fool Me Once
61. The Prodigal Comes Home
62. Celestial Bodies
63. Vicious Circle
64. A Wrinkle in Time
65. The Pickwick Papers
66. The Address
67. Radioactive
68. Cold Dish
69. The Genius of Generosity
70. The Land Beyond the Sea
71. The Black Moth
72. Lords of the North
73. Flight Behavior
74. Sword Song
75. The Practice and Presence of God
76. Mrs. Grant and Madame Jule
77. Cinnamon and Gunpowder

APRIL READS
78. No Fear Canterbury Tales
79. The Sekhmet Bed
80. The Last Rose of Shanghai
81. Edward III
82. The Burning Land
83. Morality Play
84. Running for My Life: One Lost Boy's Journey from the Killing Fields of Sudan to the Olympic Games
85. The Death of Kings
86. Find Her Alive
87. The Vault, The Letter
88. Galileo's Daughter
89. The Grand Sophy
90. Hamlet
91. The Pagan Lord
92. The Woman in Cabin 10
93. Virgin River
94. When Empires Fall: A Vasser Legacy
95. The Chilbury Ladies' Choir
96. Shelter Mountain

May Reads
97. The Empty Throne
98. Friday's Child
99. Warriors of the Storm
100. 500 Miles From You
101. Whispering Rock
102. Little Dorrit
103. War of the Wolf
104. Sword of Kings
105. Rules of Civility
109. A Judge in Auschwitz: Konrad Morgen's Crusade Against SS Corruption & 'Illegal' Murder
110. Recipes II From Our Restaurant Associates: Lazarus Celebrating 100 Years of Fine Food
111. War Lord
112. Pavilion of Women
113. The Ocean Liner
114. The Great Deliverance

JUNE READS
115.The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman
116. The 1619 Project
117. A State of Institutional Socialism: Government Subversion and the Imminent Threat to the National Security of the United States
118. The King's Mistress
119. You Deserve Each Other
120. The Falling Away: Spiritual Departure of Physical Rapture?: A Second Look at 2 Thessalonians 2:3
121. The New York Times’ 1619 Project and the Racialist Falsification of History
122. The Nutmeg Tree
123. On the Iron at Big Cloud
124. Food that Really Schmecks
125. Miss Mackenzie
126. Murder in Old Bombay
127. Bride of New France
128. Fatherland
129. The Kitchen Front
130. The White Queen
131. The Wrong Family

JULY READS
132. Bitter Harvest
133. White Trash
134. Hidden Valley Road
135. Be Frank with Me
136. The Professor and the Housekeeper
137. The Designer
138. The Taste of Fear
139. The Seventh Moon
140. No Fear Shakespeare: Measure for Measure
141. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
142. The Cipher
143. Unmasked: My Life Solving America's Cold Cases
144. The Complete Aesop's Fables
145. The Rescuers
146. Richard II: A Readable Version (Readable Shakespeare Book 16)
147. A Lily in the Light
148. Forgotten Bones
149. Post Cards from a Stranger
150. The Mill on the Floss

AUGUST READS
151. In a Field of Blue
152. The Woman in the Moonlight
153. The House of Lurking Death
154. Whisper of the Moon Moth
155. The Adventure of the Stock Broker's Clerk
156. Cry the Beloved Country
157. The Rape of Lucrece
158. Obasan
159. The Psychopath
160. The Honjin Murders
161. November Road
162. There's Someone Inside Your House
163. The Lending Library
164. Gilead

SEPTEMBER READS
165. The Dressmaker's Gift
166. Little Voices
167. What You Did
168. 3 books/studies on the Apostle Paul
169. The Caesarean Imprisonment of Paul by Charles Williams.
170. Irretrievable
171. Where the Light Enters Sara Donati
172. Richard IV Part I
173. Richard IV Part II
174. Old Filth
175. Heart of Darkness
176. The Secret Stalker
177. Merivel
178. Ideas that Shaped the Western World
179. A Children's Halloween 1: The Witch Next Door

My blanket flowers

Stop and smell my roses! Welcome to page 3!



Pinched this year long reading challenge from Birgit's thread. I will only count books read from Aug 1 till Dec. 25 (when I end my reading year) I have edited a few prompts and made them my own. A book can count for no more than 2 prompts--my rules!

1. A book with a main character whose name starts with A, T, or Y Tom Tulliver from The Mill on the Floss
2. A book connected to a book you read in 2021
3. A book with 22 or more letters in the title The Woman in the Moonlight
4. A book that fits a prompt that did not make this list In a Field of Blue
5. A book by an author with two sets of double letters in their name Little Voices by VaneSSa LiLLie
6. A book with an image of a source of light on the cover The Woman in the Moonlight by Patricia Morrisroe
7. A book set in or about Australia
8. Three Books set on different Continents: Cry the Beloved Country (Africa)
9. Three Books set on different Continents: Obasan (N. America)
10. Three Books set on different Continents The Honjin Murders (Asia)
11. A book from the genre of historical fiction The Dressmaker's Gift
12. A book related to glass
13. A book about a woman in STEM
14. A book with fewer than 5000 ratings on Good Reads Whisper of the Moon Moth
15. A book without a person on the cover The House of Lurking Death
16. A book related to Earth Day
17. A book from NPR’s Book Concierge
18. A book by an Asian or Pacific Islander
19. A book that involves alternative reality, alternative worlds, alternative history
20. A fiction or non-fiction book that is set between 1900 - 1951 Obasan
21. A book with one of the Monopoly tokens on the cover
22. A book with a Jewish character or author
23. A romance
24. A book related to inclement weather
25. A book less than 220 pages or more that 440 pages
26. Two books with the same word in the title - Book 1 The House of Lurking Death
27. Two books with the same word in the title - Book 2 There's Someone Inside Your House
28. A book that won an award from Powell's list of book awards
29. A book set on or near a body of water
30. A book related to mythology
31. A book published at least 10 years ago The Mill on the Floss
32. A book where the main character is a female detective/private eye/police officer
33. The next book in a series
34. A book with an academic setting or with a teacher that plays an important role
35. Two books, one related to flora - Book 1
36. Two books, one related to fauna - Book 2
37. A book that uses all 5 vowels (a,e,i,o,u) in the title or author's name
38. A book by a Latin American author
39. A book from the TIME List of 100 Best YA Books of All Time
40. A book related to one of the 22 Major Arcana cards of the Tarot
41. A book with a theme of food or drink
42. A book with a language or nationality in the title
43. A book set in a small town or rural area The Honjin Murders
44. A book with gothic elements
45. A book related to a game
46. A book with a non-human as one of the main characters
47. A book with hand writing on the cover
48. A book posted in one of the ATY Best Books of the Month threads in 2021 or 2022
49. A book connected to the phrase, "Here (There) be Dragons"
50. A book that involves aging or a character in their golden years
51. A book published in 2022
52. A book with a time related word in the title

Goals for July:
Finish the Anne Rule book (true crime)
Finish the Beth Hoffman book
finish the 2 thrillers I've started
Read Measure for Measure

Read what I want!

Beautiful flowers! Happy new thread!

Happy new thread - good luck with your reading goals - especially the "Read what I want" one. :)

Happy New Thread, Tess!

Happy New Thread! I wish my pictures of flowers were as nice as yours.

>8 dudes22:
I just didn't post the ones the rabbits ate and the ones that are burned up this season due to the high heat!

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Tess. Lovely flowers!

>5 rabbitprincess:
>6 DeltaQueen50:
>7 MissBrangwen:
>9 Tess_W:
>8 dudes22:
>10 Jackie_K:
>11 MissWatson:

TY TY~

132. Bitter Harvest by Ann Rule, the "queen" of true crime. This story is about Dr. Debora Green and the poisoning of her husband and death of 2/3 of her children. As usual, Rule does a great job of setting up the story with lots of background as well as courtroom drama. The only thing I think she skimped on were the psychiatric details. Was the accused a sociopath, insane, psychopath, etc? Perhaps those are details that could not be divulged. However, it was an open courtroom so I'm not sure if these lacking details were public evidence or not. 508 pages (16 hours 31 mins). I listened to this on audio and the narrator was great. 4 stars

133. White Trash: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America by Nancy Isenberg. This just reinforced what I already "knew" in my mind, but confirmed it on paper. This is a story that could be told in most any country. The under/lower classes have been created by the social hierarchy since the Garden of Eden regardless of politics and social programs. America is no exception; it's just that other countries call them by different names. By and large, America was settled by poor white trash. (There were of course, exceptions) America seems to revel in its poor white trash--examples: "Duck Dynasty" and "Honey Boo Boo." There is nothing here that I can argue against! I liked how the author gave specific historical examples to support her case; such as: ”The transportation of female cargo would ‘tye and roote the Planters myndes to Virginia by the bonds of wives and children.’ Sexual satisfaction and heirs to provide for would make slothful men into more productive colonists.” The poor were considered lazy; which isn't necessarily true, then or now! I am a bit bothered that there are those considered trash and unworthy. I do not hold to that philosophy. 460 pages 4.5 stars

The poor were considered lazy; which isn't necessarily true, then or now! I am a bit bothered that there are those considered trash and unworthy. I do not hold to that philosophy. Absolutely!

White Trash has been sitting on my shelf with a book mark at page 39 since 2016. I had assumed that the title was ironic, so was shocked to find that the author was using it to classify a group of people. I was finding the writing dull and dry, so put the book aside for later, which is looking a lot like never.

The term white trash is seeping into Australian English, but so far I've only heard it from private school people. I always tell them off!

"You will never know how much it has cost my generation to preserve your freedom." John Adams, an American patriot.

Hello Tess and Happy New Thread!

>13 Tess_W: Thanks for the reminder that I need to read some Ann Rule sometime soon. She is such a gripping writer, and I have to be in the right mind to read her, but Zowie! I can so lose myself in her stories.

How are things with you?

Oh, and BTW, the rabbits ate my newly planted sage and parsley and some basil. I feel ya!

>17 threadnsong: TY thread! I'm doing fine, busy with garden, reading, and taking care of husband. Walking 2-5 miles every day but Sunday. THose dang rabbits!

Happy new thread! Reading whatever you like is a good plan, in my opinion -- it ought to be a pleasure, not a chore!

Happy new thread, Tess! Your flower photos are beautiful.

>19 christina_reads:
>20 VivienneR:

TY!

134. Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker was the story of an American family with 12 children; 6 diagnosed with schizophrenia. The writing was stupendous! As to the content, I have big problems with both mom and dad who kept having children and allowed physical and sexual abuse to occur/continue between the siblings. The children that did not have schizophrenia certainly would need therapy for quite sometime. Words to describe this book: horrifying, fascinating, and nauseating. This took place in the 1960's-1970's in what was a middle-class family. The father was in the US Airforce for sometime. Not much known about schizophrenia at all during this period. This was the same time period that Kathleen Kennedy had a lobotomy. Not for the feint-hearted or for those who want a happy ending. 377 pages 4.5 stars

135. Be Frank with Me by Julia Claiborne Johnson Reclusive author MM Banning is holed up in her L.A. home trying to write one last novel to save her and her 10 year old son from becoming homeless. Frank, her 10 year old, is a story in itself. He's part autistic, part genius, part annoying twit, and part disobedient and disrespectful. Mimi's agent sent Alice to care for the boy while the author is working. Nothing really special here. 287 pages 2.5 stars

136. The Professor and the Housekeeper by Yoko Ogawa This was a slow, quiet, gentle story of friendship. The professor only has a 80 minute memory time due to an accident. I was disappointed in that I had wanted/expected more in the way of Japanese culture; but the story could have taken place in any setting. Nothing really special here for me. Don't read if you don't like math or baseball. There were pages of numeric formulas and numbers. 197 pages 2.5 stars

137. The Designer by Marius Gabriel was a huge disappointment; it had so much potential but instead was dragged down with the culture of drugs, homosexual detail, and frivolity set in post-war Paris. Many of the rich and famous make split second appearances never to be seen again. (Dior, Chanel, Hemingway, etc.) This was a DNF for me. Surprised because I had read one of his earlier works (The Ocean Liner) and liked it! Read 25.2% of the book according to Kindle. 2 stars



After 3 stinko books, I'm off in search of my next GOOD read!

>24 Tess_W: I feel duly warned, thanks. Maths is not my forte.

>24 Tess_W: - My book club read this last year and I listened to it on audio which I think enhanced my enjoyment of it. (I thought the narrator was excellent.) Then again - I do like math. And it's easier to let the math just flow by without having to concentrate on it while you listen. I'm listening to another of her books The Memory Police right now.

>24 Tess_W: I will await your review before I give her another try!

>24 Tess_W: I've taken a BB for this one. I like maths.

138. The Taste of Fear by Jeremy Bates Billed as a thriller and is mildly so. For a nebulous reason a man and his wife are targets of a hitman as they take a vacation safari. You need to suspend belief a few times, like the lack of security measures taken by hotels and an Israeli agent, that even I would insist upon! A so-so read. It does pick up midpoint and ends abruptly. 462 pages 3-stars This was a free Kindle book of the month in 2017.

139. The Seventh Moon by Marius Gabriel is the 3rd Gabriel I've read. So far, 2-1 in favor of Gabriel. This was a historical fiction set during the last days of WWII in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Laos. It is the story of loss, redemption, and forgiveness. A good read with some twists. I feel the ending was a bit abrupt. 321 pages 4 stars

140. No Fear Shakespeare: Measure for Measure by William Shakespeare was my read for the ShakespeareCAT for July (justice). I had never read this work before and quite enjoyed it. The theme is Biblical (Luke 6:38)...for whatever measure you give others it will be returned to you in kind. I read this in the No Fear Shakespeare edition and liked the convenience of not having to look up particulars when I didn't understand. I enjoyed having the modern translation when the goofy jailer used words inappropriately and it was a bit difficult to follow at times.

141. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne How did I escape reading this for so long? Well, I didn't really miss anything! I don't know what I expected, but "more" would be an appropriate word. The discussion of pressure and latitude and longitude made me drowsy. The real clincher for putting me to sleep was the very lengthy and never ending taxonomy of sea creatures! There is a lot of potential for a great story, but I feel it was missed in the details. 256 pages 2.5 stars

>33 Tess_W: I've managed to avoid reading 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea as I have always been of the opinion that it probably made for a better movie than book. I will get to it evetually - just not too soon!

>33 Tess_W: I think my specially abridged Puffin Classics edition gets rid of a lot of that discussion!

>35 rabbitprincess: definitely stick with that edition!

142. The Cipher by Isabella Maldonado was the first book in the three book Nina Guerrera series. Nina, now an FBI agent, was abducted and tortured when she was a 16 year old runaway. The abductor is back and wants vengeance. This was a really good thriller type book! I liked how Nina willed herself to recover and took control of her life--it was a lot of work. I will look for more in this series. I listened to this on audio and Roseanne Hernandez, the reader, was very good. 4.5 stars

143. Unmasked: My Life Solving America's Cold Cases by Paul Holes. Mr. Holes was one of the foremost criminologists and DNA experts in the country until his retirement in 2020. This book is a memoir of some of the cold cases that he solved, including The Golden State Killer. The book was sufficient, but when you have read Ann Rule, nothing can compare. Mr. Holes, while admiringly very concerned about justice for the families of the murdered, meanwhile ignored his own racking up 3 ex wives and 6 children, 4 of which he had/has no contact. I listened to this on audio from the library and it was read by the author--always a mistake IMHO. 8 hrs 45 min (288 pages) 3 very flat stars!

144. The Complete Fables by Aesop. Always a good read. Been about 30 years.......96 pages

145. The Rescuers by Margery Sharp. Never knew Sharp wrote the book. I've previously seen the Disney movie--about 30-40 years ago! Got this at a garage sale for 10 cents! Great trip down memory lane. A "cute" book of talking animals displaying unusual bravery and humor. 160 pages 3 stars

146. Richard II: A Readable Version (Readable Shakespeare Book 16), Translated by Richard Chember. My first read on Richard II. Now I need to go find something historical. Shakespeare makes it seem as though the power struggle between Richard and his cousin, Henry Bolingbroke (Henry IV), was the beginning of the War of the Roses, but the dates are off. A good story/play, although this version was way too long for my taste--539 pages. CAT: August Shakespeare-lesser known works.

>41 Tess_W:
Shakespeare wrote the three Henry VI plays (the War of the Roses plays) before R2 and some of his characters speak knowingly or “presciently” here and in the Henry IV and V plays.

>42 Tanya-dogearedcopy: TY! That makes total sense!

I'm getting behind on my Shakespeare. I have the June and July books as well as the August one out in my car. I need to grab the June or July one and begin reading! It's just that the ebook that became available to me on a favorite series is snagging my attention more!

>44 thornton37814: I definitely understand!

147. A Lily in the Light by Kristin Fields was the story of Lily, a 4 year-old who was abducted from her home. The book is predominately about how her abduction affected the remaining family members. This book had large gaps in the story-line and also seemed very superficial. This was the author's first novel and I got it free on Kindle first-reads. Potential! 280 pages 2.5 stars

>41 Tess_W: Alison Weir wrote a very thorough book on the War of the Roses, if you need recommendations for more research into this era.

>47 threadnsong: Thank you so much....off to find that one!

148. Forgotten Bones by Vivian Barz. If you like some super-natural, this is the mystery for you. If not, meh! It was a good enough story without the ghosts! 302 pages 2.5 stars. This was a free Kindle book of the month in 2019.

>49 Tess_W: How can the reader possibly solve the mystery when there's an unpredictable supernatural influence? I think this is cheating.

>40 Tess_W: Good to see Margery Sharp here!

Just spent my last $ left over from my 2021 Amazon Gift Card today:

Lancaster and York: The Wars of the Roses by Alison Weir, rec by threadsong

The Ice-Shirt: Volume One of Seven Dreams: A Book of North American Landscapes by William Vollman This is the story of the Vikings in 9-10 AD. Since I enjoyed the Danes so much in the Cornwell book, I thought I would read about them closer to home.

I also purchased 2 Taste of Home Magazines for 50 cents each at a garage sale.

>51 Tess_W: I always loved Taste of Home. A lot of Alison Weir's books are on my TBR list.

149. Postcards from a Stranger by Imogen Clark is the story of a mother who leaves a controlling husband in the 1980's (emotional and verbal abuse) and ends up losing the right to see her children. It's not until the husband/father dies that the truth comes out. A story of healing and forgiveness, although told mediocrely. 351 pages 3 stars

>53 Tess_W: Sorry that one wasn't better.

>54 thornton37814: read way too many 3's this month. Have to get out of this slump!

>55 Tess_W: Most of mine are 3 or 3.5. I did give a couple a generous 3 though. They were probably somewhere between 2.5 and 3 for me.

Eliot is probably my all-time favorite author. I've read so much mediocrity lately that I had to know for sure that the next book I read was quality--so I had to resort to a re-read and I don't do re-reads! That being said, The Mill on the Floss is my favorite tome of Eliot's. It's themes of love and loyalty couples with the conflicts between desire and moral responsibility.
"Faithfulness and constancy mean something else besides doing what is easiest and pleasantest to ourselves. They mean renouncing whatever is opposed to the reliance others have in us - whatever would cause misery to those whom the course of our lives has made dependent on us." Love, love this book!
704 pages 4.5 stars (maybe closer to 5!)

>51 Tess_W: I am humbled that you used the last of your Amazon $$ on my recommendation :) I'll be interested in reading your review and fingers crossed it is better than the 3 and 3.5's you've been reading recently.

>57 Tess_W: I haven't read much Eliot, though I did really like Middlemarch. Sounds like I should add this one to my list!

July was not a very good reading month for me--too much mediocrity! (or maybe there were all at the end of the month!)

Cheers: (4+ stars)
Hidden Valley Road
White Trash
Bitter Harvest
Seventh Moon
Measure for Measure
Richard II
The Mill on the Floss
The Cipher

Jeers: (Less than 3 Stars)
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
The Designer (DNF)
Be Frank with Me
A Lily in the Light
Forgotten Bones
Post Cards From a Stranger
The Professor and the Housekeeper

Everything else was a 3!

August Plans:
Finish In a Field of Blue, A Message for Willie, Meetinghouse Tragedy

Begin: The Journeyer over 800 pages (Marco Polo)

Read the book given to me by my granddaughter for Scaredykit

Already completed August ShakespeareCAT)

Finish up 2-3 books on Apostle Paul that I began 2-3 months ago.

151. In a Field of Blue by Gemma Liviero. This was the story of a shell-shocked WWI veteran and its effects on his family. No idea why the name! This was a free Kindle First Read from Amazon in 2020. 402 pages 3.5 stars

I hope August is a better month for you, Tess. I loved The Mill on the Floss and Middlemarch but I'd think twice about re-reading such hefty books.

The Professor and the Housekeeper just arrived for me at the library, a BB from someone else. It's one of three holds that I placed some time ago and they all arrived together. Based on your comments, this might be put off for another time. I like maths but not baseball. I'm sorry to say I don't even understand baseball.

>62 VivienneR: I wouldn't worry about the baseball. Much less of it than the math!

Prayers requested please for my son, Kenny. (age 43) He had an ATV accident and a tree limb (3 inches in diameter) came up through the wheel well and lodged in his stomach. His large intestine was pushed through the skin. He was life-flighted to the Hospital. Last night he had a bowel resection--they removed 8 inches of his bowel and reconnected. They left the wound open, but packed so they could "watch" it. He is in excruciating pain. They did a CT of his back and no bones were broken. However, he can not urinate. They don't know why. More tests today to determine that. Boys and their toys!

>64 Tess_W: I'm so sorry Tess and pray he'll fully recover. And you will too!

>64 Tess_W: Oh my goodness, how frightening for you all! Praying the tests provide answers (and therefore solutions), and that he recovers quickly and fully.

Wishing your son a full recovery and hoping that you are ok as well. That's a scary one!!

I hope he recovers quickly and the doctors can figure out what's going on.

Tess, praying for your son; relief from pain, speedy recovery and return of all functions.

Best wishes to Kenny and to you, Tess. I hope today's news is better and he is out of pain.

Update on my son: No broken back or vertebrae! Yeah! However, he is unable to urinate. So today, CT's of the pelvis and groin. He is still in excruciating pain--they are trying to get that under control, but it hurts every time he breathes. Today's physical therapy: lay the bed flat for 2 minutes! That's it! He said it was very painful! It stretched everything. I talked to the doctor today and he has 2 incisions: one down the middle of his chest, about 10 inches long, where they cut him open and removed his liver, kidneys, spleen, etc., to check them over to be sure they were not damaged. Evidently, they remove them, lay them on a table (still attached) and then replace them. The 2nd is a hole on his left abdomen where the tree limb went through. It punctured his large intestine. It went through the front and then turned and went sideways. My son pulled the branch out before the paramedics got there! The doctor said he was very lucky not to have done more damage by doing that, but he didn't! Thanks for all the concern and prayers!

Thanks for the update, will continue to pray for him.

Prayers sent to all. Thanks for the update.

Tess, I hope your son makes a full recovery from his injuries soon.

Prayers for your son's full recovery.

I hope things start to improve soon for Kenny and that he makes a complete recovery. I'll be thinking of you both.

>33 Tess_W: That's exactly how I felt about 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea! I had signed up to read it for a school project so even when I was literally falling asleep over it, I didn't feel like I could give it up (not that I gave up books easily in those days). So slow. So boring. I couldn't figure out what had made it so popular. But it seems like Jules Verne is mostly remembered because of a group of fanatics took him very seriously; it may be that even in his time many people had the same reaction I did...

>71 Tess_W: My goodness! You and Kenny are in my thoughts.

What a scary experience. I'm glad he's made it through the first day and his first physical therapy -- 3 inches of skewer through the intestines is serious. Stay safe. You and he are and will be both on my mind.

Update on Kenny--day 3. I know he is going to okay! He was admitted about midnight on Thursday and surgery was done by 3pm. Friday--they said they were going to get him up to walk--didn't happen. Saturday--ditto.....Sunday...ditto (no PT during the weekends)......so by now he's really frustrated. He swung his legs over the bed and with a great big half groan/half yell he stood up! After a couple of minutes he turned the corner and went to the bathroom! By now the nurse had come in and was aghast that he moved without any help or assistance--too dangerous! He asked her to get him a walker and he walked about 50 feet and back. Now...getting back into bed was very painful. But he said the walking made his back and hips feel better. Quote, "If I wait for anybody to get anything done, I will be in the morgue!" "Good help is almost impossible to find." "I got myself in here and I will get myself out!" He's beginning to recover! But he did ask for all of his pain medication after the walk! (That was at 2pm). We left at 4pm and still no meds!

Also, it is very important that they know his intestines are working. They are encouraging him to belch and pass gas! He asked the nurses, would you like to go on a date? I think I might like you. Nobody has ever asked me to do that before!

On the reading note, nothing much is getting done. I'm so very tired I fall asleep when I try to read. And the tomatoes are coming on......bushels to can. I'm reading a 900 pager on Marco Polo, really good; but only on page 30!

>79 Tess_W:, so very disheartening to hear about the lack of good hospital care but it does sound that like your son will take things in his stride and get better in spite of the lack of care. I am sure it is so hard for you to concentrate on anything right now with your son fighting such an injury. Praying for you both.

>79 Tess_W: Wonderful news! Great to hear that Kenny is on the improve.

Oh what a terrible thing to happen, Tess! Keeping you in my thoughts and I hope he continues to improve.

I'm sorry to hear about the poor hospital care. I think there is a real shortage of nurses though and some hospitals probably can't afford to pay a rate to attract travel nurses to supplement their own staffing. Many of those same hospitals are losing their nurses because they can make more elsewhere. At least that's what I'm hearing from my nursing friends around here.

So sorry to hear about your son, but glad he is improving!

Glad to hear of your son's improvement - even though he had to get moving on his own. That kind of attitude and courage will see him through this very tough time. Wishing him all the best.

Glad to hear Kenny’s on the mend. What a harrowing experience for him! Thinking of you both.

Thank you for all the good vibes and wishes! Kenny seems to have turned the corner! He refused pain meds today and is taking nothing but a high dose of Ibuprofen (1600 mg). He says he feels better. His wound is still opened and packed, but they are removing packing daily. They want it to heal from the inside out. Once the packing is out they will then stitch him up and if he is able to use the bathroom, he will probably go home Friday or Saturday! What a great turn around.

152. The Woman in the Moonlight by Patricia Morrisroe was about Beethoven and his dedication of the Moonlight Sonata to a 16 year old student of his (later to become his lover?), Giulietta Guicciardi. Most of the book, however, centered on Giulietta and not Beethoven. I like historical fiction with real characters, places, situations, etc. This book had all of that. However, the writing was not as good nor the story as interesting as some I have read; the titles I can not remember! 380 pages 3 stars

>87 Tess_W: I'm so glad to hear it.

>87 Tess_W:, Good news, indeed. Thanks for updating. Continued thoughts and prayers.

>89 MissWatson: TY
>90 Kristelh: TY

153. The House of Lurking Death by Agatha Christie. A short story (?) featuring Tommy and Tuppence. After spending 10 minutes reading it, I ask, so what? 36 pages 2.5 stars

>87 Tess_W: That's great news! Yes, it definitely needs to heal from inside out, otherwise he'll just end up with no end of trouble! When I used to be a district nurse, I found it fascinating how the body does that, with less packing needed with each dressing change.

Update on son: He came home today (day 7). The doctors are amazed that a limb, about 12 inches long and 3 inches in diameter was literally shoved into his abdomen (it came up through the floor of the ATV), he pulled it out (a mistake) and still no arteries were cut, it went within millimeters of his kidney and liver and neither was damaged. You can see the bruise on his back where it tried to come out, but it didn't. He has no signs of infection! A miracle, for sure!

>93 Tess_W: That is excellent news, he sounds like he is well on the road to recovery!

>93 Tess_W: Wonderful news! I can hardly believe how quickly he recovered from a terrible injury. Well, I expect he's not fully recovered, but home from hospital is almost there.

I'm so glad to hear that your son is on the road to recovery after such a scary incident! What stress you must have gone through as well. I'm wishing both of you the very best.

Just catching up on your posts, and I felt the same way about 20000 Leagues Under the Sea when I read it. I'd also read Journey to the Centre of the Earth and was underwhelmed. I guess I tend to have overly high expectations for these classics, but I have to remember that they're still important for inspiring the writers that came later.

>93 Tess_W: Great news!

That is some truly great news.

>93 Tess_W: Amazing news!

>93 Tess_W: Great news. What a relief!

That is wonderful news; sounds like divine intervention.

>101 Kristelh: I'm positive!

154. Whisper of the Moon Moth by Lindsay Jayne Ashford was a DNF for me. It was the fictionalized story of Merle Oberon, a 1920-1940's actress; heavy on the fiction, according to the author. However, her relationships with other stars such as Douglas Fairbanks, Laurence Olivier, John Wayne, etc, plus her 4 marriages, 2 miscarriages with babies from other than the above and her contracting syphilis were yawn worthy. There was absolutely nothing that interested me, so at about 60% (according to Kindle), I'm closing this one. I believe this was a Kindle free book sometime in 2017. 2 stars

155. The Adventure of the Stock-Broker's Clerk by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Just a quickie off my shelf, 36 pages 3 stars, meh!

Wonderful news about Kenny! I'm glad he was so lucky and is working hard at his recovery. Good signs.

>105 pammab: ty!

Question: I want to do a search of books rated 4.0 (+) on LT. How would I go about that?

You could go over to the "Frequently Asked Questions" Group and post it there. I'm sure you'd get an answer.

>108 dudes22: Great idea, thank you!

ETA--there is the most held books and highest rated books (limited to top 50/100) on zeitgeist, but there is not a site wide search parameter.

156. Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton. I listened to this book on Audio. It was narrated by Michael York, who did a superb job. The writing was very good. However, the problem I had was with the storyline. The setting is South Africa, specifically, Johannesburg. The book is a criticism of apartheid written in 1949. It is the story of 2 fathers and 2 sons. One son (black), killed the other son (white). A lot of the book is religious and philosophical musings about the injustice of the situation. I am/was sympathetic to all of that...until....the author states that there was no justice from the judge; who found the self-admitted murderer guilty. The connotation is that the system was stacked against him. It was the "system's" fault that this robbery/murder took place. To me, that relieves the murderer of all personal responsibility, and that's where the book falls short for me. There is a movie starring James Earl Jones (who I love!), but the story does not appeal to me. 3 stars CAT: September AuthorCAT

I'm in a reading slump, so thought I would ask for your help! Give me a few suggestions for books you have personally read and rated either 4 or 5. I don't read fantasy or sci-fi at all. I thought it would be easy just to try to bring up LT books that have a 4 or 5 rating and after doing some research, it can't be done! I suggest that as a new feature!

Here are the first 4 or higher I pulled up from my library. Some fiction, some nonfiction but most are historical since that's primarily what I've been reading in recent years. Slumps are the worst!

My Name is Mary Sutter by Robin Oliveira
The Distant Land of My Father by Bo Caldwell
Clementine - The Life of Mrs Winston Churchill by Sonia Purnell
Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann
Endurance: A Year in Space by Scott Kelly
November Road by Lou Berney
The Story of Charlotte's Webb: E.B. White's Eccentric Life in Nature and the Birth of an American Classic by Michael Sims
Ribbons of Scarlet: A Novel of the French Revolution's Women - Kate Quinn
Five Decembers by James Kestrel
The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar

>112 clue: Thanks so much, Luanne. Sitting down now with Libby (my library app) to see which ones are available!

You've had a lot on your plate recently so your reading slump is probably a result of real life delivering some blows. When I get out of step with my reading, I try to change it up and read something completely different. So here are a few suggestions:

- Sometime a light and humorous book like The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie helps.
- An adventurous tale such as Zorro by Isabel Allende or a Viking tale - The Long Ships by Frans Bengtsson
- A beloved childhood favorite like Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie or The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
- A new mystery series - Blacklands by Belinda Bauer or Talking to the Dead by Harry Bingham were both excellent reads
- Something a little different or quirky such as An Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
- A historical fiction story that sends you to a different time and place - These is My Words by Nancy E. Turner or City of Thieves by David Benioff

All the above books received a 4.5 or 5 star rating from me. I didn't check your library to see if you have read any of them so I hope there are some new ones here for you. I also hope the dreaded slump goes away quickly!

You could also go to some of your libraries of some of the people here whose reading you like here and look at the ratings of the books we've read. At least one of the styles shows the ratings. You might even be able to sort by the column that shows the rating.

ETA: The first sort might show those with no rating but if you do it again, all the 5's should be at the top.

When I get into a reading slump, I generally turn to comfort reads, which for me generally include a historical or fantastical setting (i.e., an escape from current reality) and an uplifting story, probably with some romance. With that in mind, here are some of my favorites:

Anything by Jane Austen
Winifred Watson, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
Eva Ibbotson, A Countess below Stairs (or any of her books, really)
L.M. Montgomery, The Blue Castle
Rainbow Rowell, Attachments
Madeleine St. John, The Women in Black

I hope you get to enjoy some good slump-busting reads soon!

>114 DeltaQueen50: TY so much, Judy! I have also put your books on my list (the ones I haven't read). I will certainly try to check them out, literally and figuratively!

>115 dudes22: great idea!

>116 christina_reads: I have not read that Austen, off I go to find it!

>117 Tess_W: Oh haha, I meant any book by Jane Austen...she doesn't have a title called "Anything," sorry if that wasn't clear!

I realise that my reading taste is in many ways a bit niche, so most of the things I think are great probably aren't your cup of tea! But I do think you'll like Notes from an Island by Tove Jansson and Tuulikki Pietila - it's short (I read it in a day), and sparse but beautiful, definitely a 5* read for me. I think it would be a good way to, if not overcome, at least prod at whatever's causing a reading slump.

>118 christina_reads: Ha ha! I didn't find it!

>119 Jackie_K: I will certainly give it a try!

Thank you all for the suggestions! I've read about 150 books thus far this year and at least 50% of them were very mediocre. I start teaching one class on Monday (Western Civ through the Medieval Ages). It is online this semester because they are expecting a great big whopping mass of Covid as it is on the upswing here. I'm ok with that, although I do prefer teaching in person. I feel as if I've wasted the summer reading mediocre books. It could be that I was "high" after reading the Cornwell series and there isn't much to compete with that. But, if I continue reading lousy books, I will burn myself out from reading. I will be tracking down your suggestions. It's been 20 years since I've read any Austen, so perhaps that is a good starting place!

I think you might actually enjoy Jodi Taylor’s Chronicle of Saint Mary’s even though it’s sort of science-fiction: The heroine, Max travels in a future in which time travel is possible. Each title spends a little time at some significant point in history, e.g., when King Alfred burns the cakes or when the real King Author makes an appearance… I say “sort of science-fiction” because the books don’t go into any sort of fantastical explanation of how the time travel works or any sort of metaphysical exposition. It’s a soap opera and melodrama— unpredictable, entertaining and highly addictive!

>122 Tanya-dogearedcopy: TY! Also, going to locate a copy of this!

157. The Rape of Lucrece by William Shakespeare is a narrative poem. This event probably did take place because is was chronicled by both Livy and Ovid; however historians are dubious because the accounts are written more than 100 years after the event. It is a good story and Brutus (one of the killers of J. Caesar) is also a character in this narrative poem. I enjoyed this. I read the original alongside a modern translation online here: https://www.litcharts.com/shakescleare/shakespeare-translations/the-rape-of-lucr...
1925 lines in length. As always with Bill, 5 stars! Read for September ShakespeareCAT

>123 Tess_W: It’s a series!
There’s a prequel The Very First Damned Thing— a short story— with the first-in-series being Just One Damned Thing After Another (And no, these are not filled with profanity).

>123 Tess_W: TY will look for the prequel first!

158. Obasan by Joy Kogawa was the novelized form of the author's grandmother's time spent in a Canadian Japanese internment camp. I found the book to be superficial. (Maybe it was supposed to be as Obasan was 5 years old when sent to the camp) Although a novel, I found several glaring statements about the U.S. internment(s) that had no basis in fact: 1) the US did not confiscate Japanese citizen's property (which they did) 2) "at least the US Japanese citizens had the Bill of Rights--correct, they had constitutional protection; little good it did them, though. I guess I found it a "light" book for such a serious subject. Maybe it was written for high-schoolers or YA???? Or maybe it was because it was experienced by a 5 year old???? 320 pages 3 stars

>127 Tess_W: - This has been in my TBR pile for a long time, but I think maybe it will move to the "donate to the library" pile unread. I wasn't sure I wanted to read it anyway.

Reading old meessages. Nice to see how your son has improved.

>111 Tess_W: Something gentle and charming for your reading slump: Lark Rise to Candleford by Flora Thompson is a trilogy, a lightly fictionalised memoir of English village life in the late nineteenth century.

>130 pamelad: also going to look for that! TY!

I hope you can find your way out of your reading slump, Tess. I don't really have any suggestions right now, I just find that I tend to turn to favourite authors in such a crisis, which usually means Austen or Fontane.

>133 Tess_W: TY for the Fontane suggestion. He was not on my radar. But I have ordered a copy of his book, 'Irretrievable. There is a 12 week wait; perfect!

159. Psychopath by Mary Turner Thomson was a non-fiction read about the author's brief marriage to one whom she classified as a psychopath. I guess there are many definitions and he did fit a clinical one. Her husband was not my idea of a psychopath in that he wasn't violent nor sadistic. He was a bigamist and hence felt no empathy for those he swindled and cared not for all the children he created. I found the book pretty dull! 239 pages 2.5 stars

159. The Psychopath by Mary Turner Thomson was a non-fiction read about the author's brief marriage to whom she classified as a psychopath. I guess there are many definitions and he did fit a clinical one. Her husband was not my idea of a psychopath in that he wasn't violent nor sadistic. He was a bigamist and hence felt no empathy for those he swindled and cared not for all the children he created. I found the book pretty dull! 239 pages 2.5 stars

I find the only cure for a reading slump is to turn to favourite authors that are sure to be dependable, especially if they are older publications. The fun, light, beach reads that some readers prefer would send me into a deeper slump.

>133 Tess_W:, Oh, that is a nice one and rather unusual, as it is set in Schleswig-Holstein, not Prussia.

>137 MissWatson: The only one I could find in English!

Pinched this year long reading challenge from Birgit's thread. I will only count books read from Aug 1 till Dec. 25 (when I end my reading year) I have edited a few prompts and made them my own. A book can count for no more than 2 prompts--my rules!

1. A book with a main character whose name starts with A, T, or Y Tom Tulliver from The Mill on the Floss
2. A book connected to a book you read in 2021
3. A book with 22 or more letters in the title The Woman in the Moonlight
4. A book that fits a prompt that did not make this list In a Field of Blue
5. A book by an author with two sets of double letters in their name
6. A book with an image of a source of light on the cover The Woman in the Moonlight by Patricia Morrisroe
7. A book set in or about Australia
8. Three Books set on different Continents: Cry the Beloved Country (Africa)
9. Three Books set on different Continents: Obasan (N. America)
10. Three Books set on different Continents The Honjin Murders (Asia)
11. A book from the genre of historical fiction
12. A book related to glass
13. A book about a woman in STEM
14. A book with fewer than 5000 ratings on Good Reads Whisper of the Moon Moth
15. A book without a person on the cover The House of Lurking Death
16. A book related to Earth Day
17. A book from NPR’s Book Concierge
18. A book by an Asian or Pacific Islander
19. A book that involves alternative reality, alternative worlds, alternative history
20. A fiction or non-fiction book that is set between 1900 - 1951 Obasan
21. A book with one of the Monopoly tokens on the cover
22. A book with a Jewish character or author
23. A romance
24. A book related to inclement weather
25. A book less than 220 pages or more that 440 pages
26. Two books with the same word in the title - Book 1
27. Two books with the same word in the title - Book 2
28. A book that won an award from Powell's list of book awards
29. A book set on or near a body of water
30. A book related to mythology
31. A book published at least 10 years ago The Mill on the Floss
32. A book where the main character is a female detective/private eye/police officer
33. The next book in a series
34. A book with an academic setting or with a teacher that plays an important role
35. Two books, one related to flora - Book 1
36. Two books, one related to fauna - Book 2
37. A book that uses all 5 vowels (a,e,i,o,u) in the title or author's name
38. A book by a Latin American author
39. A book from the TIME List of 100 Best YA Books of All Time
40. A book related to one of the 22 Major Arcana cards of the Tarot
41. A book with a theme of food or drink
42. A book with a language or nationality in the title
43. A book set in a small town or rural area The Honjin Murders
44. A book with gothic elements
45. A book related to a game
46. A book with a non-human as one of the main characters
47. A book with hand writing on the cover
48. A book posted in one of the ATY Best Books of the Month threads in 2021 or 2022
49. A book connected to the phrase, "Here (There) be Dragons"
50. A book that involves aging or a character in their golden years
51. A book published in 2022
52. A book with a time related word in the title

>139 Tess_W: I am also working on the above challenge. Kudos to you if you are able to get it done by Dec. 25!

Hi Tess, I am just catching up on your thread!

I was shocked to read about your son’s accident but relieved to see that he left the hospital so quickly. Wow, what a scare and what a miracle!

>33 Tess_W: I started 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea earlier this year and somehow forgot about it…. I am not sure if I will pick it up again. My feelings about it were very similar to yours. Judging from the posts here, we are not alone, which makes me feel less guilty about abandoning it...

>57 Tess_W: Oh, I love The Mill on the Floss! It was my first novel by George Eliot and it blew me away.

>127 Tess_W: It is interesting to read your opinion on Obasan. I read it in uni for a Canadian Lit course and apparently our professor thought very highly of it and I remember that I loved it. But well, that was nearly fifteen years ago and I was a bit easier to impress than today, just starting to read novels apart from genre fiction. I wonder what I would think about it now. I don’t feel inclined for a reread, though, there are too many other books, haha!

I second Birgit’s suggestion of Fontane. I haven’t read Irretrievable, but I generally enjoy his novels a lot and I think you might, too. I am pretty sure that others have been translated, too, maybe you can dig them out if you like Irretrievable.

When I am in a reading slump, mysteries by favourite authors/favourite series do the trick for me. If it is a really bad one, I usually turn to Agatha Christie, or I go to a bookshop, grab a book that looks interesting and that I’ve never heard of, and read that one.

I hope you will get out of the slump as quickly as possible, and of course that your son will continue to improve and recover!

>141 MissBrangwen: TY so much, on both accounts! I am certainly going to try the challenge just to mix it up a bit!

160. The Honjin Murders by Seishi Yokomizo The year is 1937 and during the wedding night of Kenzo and Katsuko, both are brutally murdered within a locked room. Young, sometimes stammering, very smart detective, Kindaichi, is called in to solve the case. I'm not a connoisseur of the mystery, so had no idea that there was a sub-genre of mystery called "locked room" or "locked box." There were many characters in this mystery (too many for me) and the ending was abrupt; however, it was novel, so I enjoyed it. I understand there are 76 other books in the series, but I doubt if I will read them. 189 pages 3.5 stars P.S. A honjin was an estate of nobility or government officials. However, by the 1870's, they were beginning to decay.

>139 Tess_W: Oh, adapting some of the prompts to my own TBR looks like a good idea!

>143 Tess_W: Holy cow, 76 other books in the series?! Pushkin Vertigo has their work cut out for them to translate them all! I've read three of the Yokomizos they've translated so far and have the latest, Death on Gokumon Island, on my shelves.

>143 Tess_W: I liked The Honjin Murders because it was so strange, and liked The Inugami Curse even more. Next up is The Village of Eight Graves.

>145 rabbitprincess: This is the only undiscounted one, so I'm keeping an eye out in case that changes, and in case some of the others in the series are published in English.

161. November Road: A Novel by Lou Berney. The title stems from the "action" that begins when a hitman is asked to drive a car to Dealey Plaza and leave it. Two days later Kennedy is assassinated from the 6th floor of Dealey Plaza. (November, 1963) Everybody involved in the operation is killed, even the killers themselves. Down to one who knows something: Frank. He eludes those sent to kill him and gets involved with an innocent woman with 2 children. The ending is as I expected, but the tension ran high throughout the book. Thanks to Luanne (clue) for her recommendation. 320 pages 4 stars

162. There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins. Read this for August Scaredykit--YA horror. This was a mix of teen romance and slasher; neither of which I cared for. My granddaughter of 14 assures me it is a good book! 287 pages of pure torture! 2.5 stars--that's generous!

163. I would classify The Lending Library by Aliza Fogelson as contemporary chick lit. I was disappointed that the lending library wasn't an integral part of the story. If you are looking for something light and a no-brainer, this is it! 2.5 stars

>149 Tess_W: I think I'm looking for a part-brainer. No-brainer is a bridge too far.

>150 pamelad: would probably qualify as a half-brainer!

164. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. Robinson won a Pulitzer prize so I had hopes for this book. The entire book is a letter written by Rev. John Ames, aged 77, who is dying, to his young 7 year old son, to be read when he is older. In theory, it should be a mesmerizing letter. However, the writer rambles and at times instead of being sentimental, which I think the author intended, he comes across as senile. Wished/wanted to like this better. I will not be reading books 2 and 3, although book 3 came highly recommended. 289 pages 3- stars I gave this book 3- stars instead of a lower rating because there were 4-5 good pages in there about the Spanish flu of 1919.

>152 Tess_W: Sorry you didn't like that one better.

Will not finish anymore in August, so here's my recap:

Books read: 15

This was really a bad reading month for me quality and enjoyment wise!

Cheers (4+ stars)
November Road (rec by LuAnne)
The Mill on the Floss (re-read)
The Rape of Lucrece

Jeers: (Less than 3 stars)
The Lending Library
There's Someone Inside Your House
The Psychopath
The Moon Moth (a DNF)
The House of Lurking Death

All other were very average to mediocre. (3-3.5)

I'm in the minority as I am not happy to be saying goodbye to summer. Give me those 90-95 days. I can tolerate/enjoy them more than sub zero temperatures where I am stuck in the house for days at a time, sometimes without power!

Plans for September: To finish up a lot of odds and ends:
Beth Hoffman book I've had going for 2-3 months
Tell Them Willie Sent you ditto

For cats/kits (maybe)
Animal mystery
Book with a harvest/angel theme
(Already completed ShakespearCAT and will finish Women in War in next 2-3 days)

I really want to get started on completing the read of all the kings written about by Shakespeare as well as the accompanying chapter in the Shakespeare's Kings book. I think I have completed 8/10.

Looks like you had a great month in terms of quantity, but I'm sorry the quality let you down.

I hope you read some excellent books in September. Lots of five star reads.

I hope the September books will prove better, qualitywise!

Wishing you Happy Reading in September.

>155 christina_reads: TY
>156 pamelad: TY
>157 MissWatson: TY
>158 Kristelh: TY

165. The Dressmaker's Gift by Fiona Valpy was a free Kindle read in 2019. It's the story of 3 young women in Paris in 1939-1945 who are seamstresses under Nazi occupation. A few of the fashion-house names are dropped such as Dior, Ricci, and Chanel, but they are not integral to the story. As with much historical fiction written currently, the author felt the need for a dual timeline, which was a big failure. The timeline was achieved with the non-scientific theory of inherited trauma, two generations later. It didn't work. In fact, the 1970's chapters of the book were not even necessary. One could read the entire book and skip all the "Harriet" chapters and still get the most from the story. This was a quick read or I would not have finished. The Velodrome had a one sentence mention and Flossenburg had three pages. The writing was sophomoric and predictable. If you want to read about fashion and/or the Nazi occupation of Paris, there are many better books available. CAT: September CATwomen: women during war.

>159 Tess_W: Like you, I am tired of the dual timelines, especially if the story doesn't really gain from it.

>159 Tess_W: - I have this on my kindle too. Probably got it at the same time you did. Guess it will stay there a little while longer.

166. Little Voices by Vanessa Lilly was billed as a psychological thriller. I did not find that to be the case. A book is not a thriller because there is a murder and the wrong person is accused. A book is not a psychological thriller because a person hears voices. I listened to this on audio and perhaps if I had read it instead, it would have been more appealing. The voice inside the main character's head spoke frequently and it was always so grating and harsh; which perhaps, was supposed to be. I just found a lot of things improbable, which doesn't make for a psychological thriller for me. I have this book in my audio library, so I may go back and give it another go sometime later. This was the author's book debut. 10 hours 14 minutes 2.5 stars

167. What You Did by Claire McGowan was billed as a psychological thriller. It missed the mark by just a tad, but still it wasn't a bad read. This book reminded me of the 1970-80's film, "The Big. Chill." It was the story of 7 college friends that had a 25th year reunion at one of their homes. All kinds of secrets and lies come to light. 282 pages 3 stars. This was a free Kindle of the month read.

>163 Tess_W: I very rarely find "free Kindle of the month" books to be very good, but I'm glad that was a tad better than the usual fare. I think the real problem is their genres tend to be just a tad off from my preferred reads. For example, their mysteries tend to be more to the thriller end than to the side that is a little cozier, but still somewhat realistic (Louise Penny, Deborah Crombie, Martin Walker, Donna Leon, Andrea Camilleri, etc.)

168. Been doing this study for 4-5 months and I'm going to count these books as one, as they often overlap. Going to be teaching a 6-week series on the Apostle Paul. I'm nervous as it's "new" material for me!

169. The Biblical WorldCoverage: 1893-1920 (Vol. 1, No. 1 - Vol. 54, No. 6) Published by: The University of Chicago Press
The Caesarean Imprisonment of Paul by Charles Williams. I can't put in links as this is a journal and there are no links on LT. 21 pages Can be found in part here: https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/pdf/10.1086/474256

I borrowed this from a Bible professor and have to return it.

>165 Tess_W: Tessa, it looks like a good study. Wish I could take the class. It looks to me like you’ll do a great job.

>165 Tess_W: I hope the new course goes well and that you get to teach it more than once.

>168 pamelad: Probably not--it's a one-off!

170. Irretrievable by Theodor Fontane I came across this author through Birgit. This wasn't the book she read as that book wasn't available in English. This was an "odd" book, not necessarily in a bad way. It was basically the story of a disintegration of a marriage. The author asks the question about what really makes a marriage "happy", or is there even such a thing? The writing and vocabulary were top-notch. The story was very slow moving and annoyingly changed narrators during the last chapter. All of the main characters were silly and I really didn't care for any of them. Perhaps that's what the author wanted? I did learn a lot about Schleswig-Holstein and Denmark, though! 3.5 stars 288 pages

171. Henry IV, Part I Henry has a falling out with his former ally, Hotspur, who joins the rebel forces. King Henry IV, and his son, Hal, go to battle. Hal has been spending a wasteful life at the Boar's Head Tavern hanging out with the likes of Falstaff. Hal redeems himself and kills Hotspur, although he allows Falstaff to get the credit. The king's forces are victorious. I thought a lot of the dialogue and "life" at the Boar's Head was quite funny. I'm going to assume the war will continue in Henry IV, Part II. I read this from a Shakespeare omnibus I own. I also read the appropriate section in The Shakespeare Book. I still have to watch the movie clip in a 4 DVD set made by the BBC in which Richard Burton plays Hal. On to part II!

>171 Tess_W: I have a Complete Works of Shakespeare omnibus too, and remember as a teen (when I got it - we had to study a few of the plays at school) really enjoying reading the plays that I knew. I suddenly felt quite nostalgic when I read you mentioning the omnibus, perhaps I should dig it out and dust it down and find some new plays to read.

>172 Jackie_K: I actually dug this out of the trash. About 20 years ago our school library had a makeover and threw a lot of the really old books in the trash--yup--I dumpster dived for books!

>170 Tess_W: What I found very difficult to understand were the religious issues in this book, where the wife differs so much from her husband. I have just learned from The iron Kingdom a little about pietism and the role it played in the confessional landscape of Brandenburg-Prussia, and I think it would have helped had I known it before.

>174 MissWatson: Believe it or not, I had a course in history that covered the Pietists (Philip Spener) and the Moravians, more specifically Count von Zinzendorf and his estate, Hernhut. So that part of the book I understood. However, there were many pages, especially some of the poems, that were entirely in German. Thankfully, at the end of each chapter there were the translations. I wished I had known more of Schleswig-Holstein's relationship with Denmark, but I looked it up and learned as I went along.

172. Henry IV, Part II by William Shakespeare. While I liked Part II, it seems less focused than part I. I guess Bill had to tie up a lot of loose ends! One of the best scenes/quotes from this play is when Henry IV lay dying in his bed (although not dead) and has his crown laying on his pillow. Hal (his son) comes in and thinking his father dead, takes the crown and places it on his head. Henry IV replies, "O foolish youth,
Thou seek'st the greatness that will overwhelm thee." Lots of battles and foes vanquished in part II, including Falstaff. I read this first in my omnibus, but then purchased the Henry IV Parts One and Two (No Fear Shakespeare) so that I could read it again in modern English. Glad I got it because I filled in some parts that were iffy in my understanding in the original omnibus version. I now have 3 DVD's to watch covering this time produced by the BBC. I'm not a TV, movie, or video watcher, but do want to get to them!

>175 Tess_W: Then you are way ahead of me on that subject!

173. Where the Light Enters by Sara Donati was exceptional writing and story telling about the Gilded Age. This was a sequel to The Gilded Hour, but it is also a stand alone novel. The carryover is that Sophie and Anna Savard are now living in New York City, both having made it through medical school. Within is contained a harrowing mystery. Great time period piece, although long. 672 pages 5 stars

>178 Tess_W: Yay, five stars finally! I hope the good streak continues for you!

>179 MissBrangwen: Here's hoping!

174. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. I had read this some years previous and DNF. At least this time I finished it! I don't know if I've become accustomed to faster paced, more action-packed books in that I found this to be rather dull. The writing is excellent and Conrad does make his anti-imperialist case, but I just could not become interested. 2.5 stars 107 pages

>181 Tess_W: Congratulations on finishing! I've started this one a few times but never persevered, even though it's so short.

>181 Tess_W: Coincidentally, that one's in my stack again (I have read it and listened to it-- the latter, a slightly censored but well-performed version narrated by Kenneth Branagh). I'm currently listening to King Leopold's Ghost (by Adam Hochschild; narrated by Geoffrey Howard) and there's (a) chapter(s) devoted to the work. I'm interested in going back now knowing what I do... :-)

>183 Tanya-dogearedcopy: I have heard that Hochschild's book is very good. I've put it on my WL and when I want to read a NF, I will pick it up. I also listened to an audio of Heart of Darkness as I read along. My reader was a guy by the last name of Constant and he was just ok. I can't remember more about him as I borrowed the audio from the library. It followed the book I had very closely. I really wanted to like this as it's a classic with such a stellar reputation. As I said, the writing was superb, the story line just didn't draw me in.

175. Old Filth by Jane Gardam was the story of a 90 year old judge, who dying, reminisces upon his past life which includes his mother dying at birth, a father who does not want him, growing up in an abusive foster home, his life at boarding school and his relationship, or lack of it, with acquaintances and his wife. The story, while not bad, wasn't particularly gripping for me, either. His memories are all over the place and at times it was difficult for me to determine where that memory should be placed chronologically. Edward Feathers is where the acronym F.I.L.T.H. originated, meaning: Failed in London, Try Hong Kong. I did learn about the Raj orphans. It seems to me this book was written in stream of consciousness. I won't be reading books two and three. 290 pages 2.5 stars

176. The Secret Talker by Geling Yan was billed as a psychological thriller and free from Amazon some time ago. I would not classify it as a psychological thriller but as a work of fiction. Hongmei, is a Chinese student married to Glen. They live in California, San Francisco, I think. Hongmei is being stalked, primarily through the internet. The resolution has to do with her past, of course. The writing appeared to be choppy, but that could be because of the translation. I wished the characters had been fleshed out better. 160 pages 3 stars

>186 Tess_W: I read The Lost Daughter of Happiness by Geling Yan some time ago and was disappointed. I had much the same complaints as you. I will continue to avoid this author.

Hilary Mantel, celebrated author of Wolf Hall, dies aged 70
‘She saw and felt things us ordinary mortals missed,’ her agent says of Booker prize-winning author who died on Thursday
Hilary Mantel remembered: ‘She was the queen of literature’
How Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall trilogy turned Thomas Cromwell from villain to hero
‘The pen is in our hands. A happy ending is ours to write'

Headline from the Guardian

RIP Hilary!

>188 Tess_W: Yes, that was rather shocking news. So unexpected!

In a cleaning mood.....cleaned bookshelf number one by removing all books and stacking them into piles: to read, cookbooks, to keep, to donate

After much deliberation:
6 books donated to church
10 books going to Goodwill or some other organization----decided Friends of the Library.

Still have one shelf with a double row, but much lighter! I think my "plan" of attack will be to read the books with the fewest pages first and hope that I will want to get rid of some of them! However, I'm currently reading an 800 page book so it will be sometime!

I have 2 more bookcases to tackle.

>190 Tess_W: I have a similar plan for this winter. I'm also going to check my LT library against what's on the shelf. I pllanned on reading a book this month for a Cat that I can't find...so irritating!

>190 Tess_W: I should make time for some operation like that myself. I think. And then I start reading.

177. Merivel by Rose Tremain, is as usual by this author, a superb work of historical fiction. It is the continuation of the character, Dr. Merivel from her novel Restoration, but it could be a stand alone. In this book, Merivel is back in the good graces of Charles II. The action takes place from England to France to Switzerland. While Merivel does have a penchant for sleeping with the wives of others, he seems to be a man of reformation in that he cares for his daughter, her mother, the poor, the sick, etc. I had forgotten what a great writer of historical fiction that Tremain was. So impressed with this work that I'm starting The Gustav Sonata. I listened to this on Audio and the reader, Sean Barrett, was very good. 12 hours 34 minutes (383 pages) 5 stars

As I'm in the midst of an 800 pager and also just started a new novel, I won't finish anything else this month. The roundup:

15 books read

Cheers (3+ ratings)
3 study books on Apostle Paul
The Caesarean Imprisonment of Paul
Irretrievable
Where the Light Enters
Merivel
Henry IV, Part I
Henry IV, Part II
Ideas that Shaped the Western World

Jeers (less than 3 stars)
The Dressmaker's Gift
Little Voices
Heart of Darkness
Old Filth
The Secret Talker

My goal for October is to complete the 800+ pager Journeyer about Marco Polo. It is a great read but it's a paperback with small print and I can only read it about 30 minutes a day until my eyes are tired. It's not on ereader or audio!

All bookshelves cleaned and books checked against entered into LT! Cleared another 10 books! Whewwww!

>195 Tess_W: Congratulations! That's a big undertaking.

178. Ideas that Shaped the Western World by Daniel Boyd Crowder I can't get any touchstones for either the book or the author. While cleaning, I had forgotten that I had started this book earlier in the year and meant to get back to the last 2 chapters. This I did today and this book is also on its way to the Friends of the Library. I must have gotten this book to read when I was designing a Western Civ course. It has chapters on the Reformation, Renaissance, Scientific Revolution, Romanticism, and Nazism, just to name a few. Very technical with lots of "quotes" (sections) where famous philosophers or historians are quoted. I finished the chapter on existentialism today and I don't think I have any more use for this book. I can't really recommend this book for reading pleasure, but it is a good non-fiction read, especially if you want to technical information on historical movements. Very well foot-noted. 239 pages 5 stars

>185 Tess_W: Too bad this didn't work for you. I really enjoyed the series. Second and third in the series are from different points of view so they fill in more detail.

>195 Tess_W: Congratulations! The biggest problem with that job is creating a pile "to be read right away" that grows by the minute!

>193 Tess_W: Moving this up the wish list. A definite candidate for the November LT Anniversary Book Binge.

>195 Tess_W: - I started mine earlier this year when I couldn't find a book. Did a bit of a purge at the same time. I still have some boxes in the basement that need to be gone through but most are done.

>200 dudes22: Good feeling, eh?

>199 pamelad: I think (hope) you will enjoy it!

>201 Tess_W: - Yes, it is. I also decided to take a serious look at how my reading habits have changed and purge books that aren't really in my wheelhouse anymore. LT has given me so many BBs that I need to let some of what I have go.

>202 dudes22: I agree about the purging. I have a wish list of about 5000 books. I need to pare that down significantly! Been wish listing instead of buying! It's overwhelming.

That's a solid wish list, but at 100 books a year it will only take you fifty!

>204 pamelad: Right and when you are pushing 70..........

Seventy is the new forty!

>206 pamelad: LOL yeah, tell my knees, hips, and ankles that!

179. Children's Halloween 1: The Witch Next Door by Dr. Mc This was what my granddaughter gave me when I asked her for a book on witches. It was 32 pages in length and an ok book for a reader about 8-12 years of age. Cute story! I read this to satisfy the October Scaredykit: Witches. I'm not really into scary things such as ghosts, witches, etc. This is all the longer I could read about this topic!

180. The Gustav Sonata by Rose Tremain is a dark, bleak book that takes place mainly in Switzerland between 1936-1950. In the beginning, Gustav's father in the assistant chief of police in charge of turning back German/Austrian refugees. He forges papers and is fired from his position. That being said, helping to aid refugees is about the nicest thing he ever did in his life. Everyone in the book is just miserable! This really isn't indicative of the Rose Tremain's that I have previously read. It wasn't a bad book, just "hopeless." If that was the author's intent, she accomplished it well! 272 pages 3.5 stars